Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High Book 1)

by Lacy Andersen

  Diamond was about as cute as a puppy. I smiled over my shoulder at Collin as she led me away. He returned my smile, amusement flashing in his eyes. She led me to the table and pointed at a spot in the middle, next to where Peter already sat. I took my seat, the rest of the family filling in the others. Tripp sat at the head of the table and Gina on the opposite side. Collin and Ally claimed the long side across from me.

  “Peter, would you like to say grace for the table?” Tripp asked, folding his hands.

  The little boy looked at me, his eyes wide with fear, and shook his head. I immediately felt bad for him. I was intruding on his family life. He was so little and fragile looking, I wanted to scoop him up and give him a big hug, but that would probably freak him out.

  “That’s okay, buddy,” Tripp said in a soft voice. “You’ll get there. Diamond, would you like to do the honors?”

  “Yes, please.” Diamond sat up rod straight and bowed her head solemnly. The whole room went silent, waiting for her to continue. Finally, with a deep breath, she said, “Lord, you know we love to eat. Please don’t let Gina’s food taste like concrete. Amen.”

  I felt my eyes go buggy as I stared across the table at Collin. He quirked a smile in my direction, shook his head, and then leaned forward to grab a bowl of rice. Apparently, such events were normal in this home, because no one commented. Instead, they began to pass food around and load up their plates.

  “Audrey, I understand you’re a cheerleader at Rock Valley,” Tripp said, shoving an enchilada in his mouth and staring at me expectantly.

  “Um...yeah.” I chewed on my cheek, not really sure being the mascot counted. It did to my mom, and that was all that mattered to me. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

  He nodded and his eyebrows raised. “And I hear you play guitar? And sing in the choir?”

  I nodded. Those things, I could easily claim. Although, I had to wonder how they knew so much about me. I’d never seen them at any of my events.

  “Any plans for school after you graduate?” Tripp leaned his elbows on the table. “Maybe a state school?”

  “Hey dude, this is starting to sound like a job interview,” Collin interrupted with a sour expression.

  “I’m not trying to interview her. I was just wondering,” Tripp replied, flinging his fork. “Sounds like she’s got a lot of potential.”

  It looked like Collin was opening his mouth to argue, so I replied quickly. “I’m not really sure what’s up next for me. I’m applying to a few places, but I can’t decide if I should study music, or go into something more practical like Business and Marketing. I could always write songs and perform on the side.”

  My dad had wanted me to go into music. And while I still loved to write and play, part of me felt rebellious by following in Mom’s footsteps at school. She’d majored in Marketing. They’d met while she was an undergrad and he was studying for his law degree. Love at first sight, that was the way Mom used to describe it. From all accounts, it should’ve been the perfect romance. At least she still had the marketing degree.

  “I’m glad you’ve got an idea of what you want to do,” Tripp continued, the lines in his forehead deepening. “Gina and I have tried to get Collin interested, but he won’t even take a campus visit.”

  “Tripp...” Gina pursed her lips and gave her husband a warning look.

  “My dad said he wants me to join him at the mechanic shop next year,” Collin said, more to his plate of food than to any of us. “He said he’s got a spot waiting for me.”

  I didn’t miss the exchange of concerned expressions from Gina and Tripp over the table. Apparently, this was a sore spot. I didn’t know much about Collin’s dad, but I’d heard enough to know he might be trouble.

  But then Gina smiled at Collin and sighed. “If that’s what’ll make you happy, dear, then we’re happy. But just know, you’ve always got a spot here as well. Even when you’re out of foster care. You can go to school and work, just like Ally.”

  “Yeah, Collin, that would be great,” Ally added with a grin. “I can show you the ropes. Maybe even get you a part-time job at Dwight’s.”

  “Thanks.” Collin shot her and Gina a grateful smile.

  At the same time, relief washed over me. No matter what happened, it sounded like he had a home. That was what mattered.

  Collin’s foster family was so unlike anything I’d ever experienced. As we ate supper, the love they all held for each other became more and more evident. Tripp was the leader of the home and kind of rough around the edges. But he had a soft spot for his kids, especially when it came to shy little Peter. The conversation ebbed and flowed between the family, never ending. I hardly had to add a word.

  Mostly, I spent a lot of time catching Collin’s eye, laughing at something one of his family members had said. The fire was back in my stomach, burning like red hot embers in a fire pit. Every time he looked at me and gave me that grin, I’d get another burst of heat.

  And even though this side of him was so very different from the tough, bad-boy image I was used to seeing at school, it made me like him even more. Beneath the hard candy shell was a soft caramel center that was Collin and his foster family. He might have been the soft one, but I was the one melting.

  By the time dinner ended, I’d stuffed myself with so much food I thought I would burst. That included Collin’s dessert, which was so amazing I think I asked him three times if he was sure he’d made them himself. Ally and Diamond were just starting to clear the table and little Peter had taken up at the sink to help wash dishes. Collin rounded the table and kneeled down next to my chair.

  “Come on,” he said quietly, reaching for my hand. “Let’s get out of here before they ask us to dry.”

  My stomach did a little flip and I bit my bottom lip nervously. Maybe I should’ve offered to help clean up, but my mind was too focused on the fact that he was holding my hand and causing flames to rush up my arm.

  “Thank you for dinner,” I yelled as he pulled me toward the sliding glass door. “It was wonderful.”

  Gina fixed me with a smile, her eyes sparkling. “You’re welcome to come over anytime, dear.”

  “Oh, yes please,” Ally added, laughing. She rinsed a dish and handed it to Diamond. “We need a little more estrogen in this place. Boys are so smelly and gross. Maybe with you around, we might actually get Collin to pick up his dirty gym clothes.”

  “Thanks, Sis.” Collin saluted her with his other hand. “That’s really helpful.”

  “What?” She shrugged and turned to Tripp. “What did I say?”

  I didn’t have time to hear the rest of the conversation. Collin shut the sliding door behind us. The evening had darkened on the spacious backyard and stars had started to make their appearance up above. Bikes and scooters littered the grass. A giant sandbox stood to my right and beside that was a rusty old swing set. Collin led me out onto the grass and toward the side of the house, slowing to a halt when we were out of view of the dining room.

  “I’m really sorry about that,” Collin said, rubbing his hand over his head. “My family’s...a little weird.”

  I tried not to focus on the fact that he was still holding my hand, tight. “Actually, they’re kind of amazing,” I said breathlessly. “Gina and Tripp are awesome. It’s so clear they love each other.”

  “Yeah.” He frowned at me. “They really do.”

  “That was the kind of love I’d hoped for my parents. You know, that messy, forgiving, beautiful kind of love? As a kid, I used to shut my eyes and wish so hard for that to happen.”

  He nodded, his eyes never leaving my face. “I know exactly what you mean. I never knew my mom, and my dad’s relationships never lasted. I didn’t know people like Gina and Tripp existed in the world until I arrived on their doorstep. They were really patient with me. I didn’t deserve it. I was angry and busted up everything I touched. Any other foster home would’ve sent me packing, but they didn’t. I owe them everything.”

  I w
atched the way Collin’s jaw twitched when he talked about his past. There was a vulnerability in his eyes. One that told me he wasn’t used to sharing these kinds of details with other people. My heart blossomed with the knowledge that I was one of the lucky few.

  “You know,” I laughed sourly, “it’s no wonder neither of us can write a love song. With my kissing problem, your inability to fall in love, and the fact that our parents were messes, we’re pretty much sunk.”

  “No kidding.” He shook his head. “But there’s nothing we can do to change that.”

  “Right.”

  I looked down at his hand still holding mine. The soothing noises of night were beginning to surround us. A cricket chirped nearby and a bullfrog croaked in the distance. The gentle breeze ruffled my curls, cooling off the day’s lingering heat.

  Suddenly, I was struck by an idea. A crazy idea. It was out of my mouth before I could stop myself. “Actually, there’s one thing we can change.”

  He tilted his head as he waited for me to continue. My heart beat as if I’d just gotten done taking the Presidential Physical Fitness Tests in gym class. Collin was going to think I’d lost my mind, but there was a method to my madness. This was the solution to all of our problems. If we really wanted to write this song and make it good, we were going to have to make a big change.

  “Collin, I need you to kiss me.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Collin froze. It was clear from the expression on his face that he was having trouble believing what had just come out of my mouth. I could hardly believe it myself.

  “What did you say?” he asked, his voice cracking.

  I inhaled deeply and swallowed down my nerves. For once, I wasn’t going to be the one to chicken out of an outrageous plan. I’d been a scared little girl, too frightened to do anything but follow the rules. I was done with that. We needed to nail this song. And if this was the way to do it, I could think of no one better to kiss me than Collin Preston.

  “Listen, maybe that’s the one thing we need to finally get this right.” I furrowed my brow and glared down at the ground. “Mrs. Banks has said over and over again that this song is about romance. And you said it yourself in the park, how is someone who’s never been kissed supposed to write about love?”

  “Audrey, I was joking about that.” Collin looked around the backyard as if he were afraid of someone listening in. “Come on. We can’t talk about this here. I’ve got somewhere better.”

  Holding my hand tight, he led me around the corner of the house, where his motorcycle was parked. Next to it lay a staircase to a basement door. Finally letting go of me, he went down the stairs first and opened the door to reveal a large, carpeted family area.

  “This is where Ally and I stay,” he explained, leading me toward an open door on the right. “Gina and Tripp only let the kids move down here when we’ve proven that we’re responsible enough to handle it. I didn’t get my room down here until last summer. Got into too many fights at school my first year. Then there was a problem with my grades junior year. They’re not kidding when they say you have to earn it. Ally’s room is down the hall, next to the bathroom.”

  He went into the first room on the right and I froze in the doorway. This was a boy’s room. Not just any boy, but Collin Preston’s room. I’d never been inside a boy’s room before now, although it didn’t look much different from my own.

  The girly colors were replaced with shades of blue and black. Posters of different rock bands and athletes hung on the walls. A small TV set with a Playstation sat on a table in the corner. He had a full-sized bed with a navy blue comforter and striped sheets, which had been neatly made, and a desk littered with school books. In all, it was just a bedroom. But my racing heart didn’t seem convinced.

  “Okay, let’s talk about this,” Collin said, pacing back and forth across the room with his hands behind his head. “Are you sure this is what you want? That this is the only way?”

  I nodded my head and finally stepped through the doorway. While my hands were definitely sweaty and my blood rushing through my ears, the short walk down here had only made me braver. “We’ve spent weeks working on this song and every time Mrs. Banks has shot it down. It’s the only thing we haven’t tried.”

  He shot me a desperate look. “Don’t you have someone you’d rather kiss than me?”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t think of anyone better than Collin. He’d told me himself that he couldn’t fall in love. So there was no fear of that. It was a kiss, plain and simple, and it needed to be from him. We were in this thing together. We were partners.

  The fear in his eyes only grew brighter as he came to a halt, his shoulders drooping. “Audrey, I don’t think I can.”

  Suddenly, the bravery I’d been feeling was doused by one, horrifying thought. What if Collin didn’t want to kiss me? What if I was the last person on Earth he’d want to lock lips with? The very thought made my stomach dip like the sudden dive on a roller coaster.

  “Oh.” The single syllable came out of my lungs with full force. “You don’t want to kiss me.”

  I’d almost coerced him into it. What kind of person was I? The worst sort. I ought to be buried in the sand up to my neck and fed to a colony of fire ants.

  “No, no, no.” He took a step toward me, agony wracking his face. “That’s not what I mean. That’s a million miles away from what I mean. I just...” He looked down at his hands as he gestured. “I don’t want you to regret this and I don’t want you to hate me for taking away this experience for you. That would kill me.”

  The tension in my shoulders softened and I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward him. Not a lot of people realized it, but he really was a good guy. I couldn’t think of a single boy I knew who would’ve been so concerned about what kissing me meant. It was sweet and only solidified my decision.

  “I won’t regret it,” I said, crossing my heart. “I promise. You’re the only one I want to do this with. Besides, you kind of owe me. You were supposed to kiss me in that beach house at the end of summer, remember?”

  He stared at me for a long moment, the muscles in his jaw twitching. Emotions flashed in his eyes, changing too quickly for me to read. Finally, he took another step toward me, closing the distance between us.

  “This is just for the song, right?”

  I nodded, swallowing hard. My gaze flicked back and forth between his eyes and then to those lips of his.

  He moved even closer, causing me to take an involuntary step back. “It’s just a kiss. Kisses don’t mean anything.”

  “Right.” I retreated another step and found myself up against the desk, with no-where left to go.

  “And this isn’t going to change anything between us.” He reached up to brush away a curl that had fallen on my cheek, his fingers leaving burning trails where they touched my skin. “We’ll still just be singing partners. And you’ll still think I’m an arrogant jerk who gets way too much credit for throwing around a stupid ball.”

  My lips twitched in a smile. So he could read minds. “And you’ll still think I’m the lame high school mascot who isn’t cool enough to get a guy to want to kiss her.”

  He softly ran his hand through my curls, the touch causing a violent shiver to go down my spine. “For the record, I never thought of you like that,” he whispered.

  I wanted to ask exactly what Collin thought of me, but the way he was looking at me took the breath right out of my lungs. There was a heat in his gaze, so hot that it felt like I would burn right up. And when he suddenly grabbed my waist and lifted me up onto the desk, I squawked.

  He stared down at my lips as he slowly wet his own. “You still sure about this?”

  “Yes.” My voice came out as a raspy whisper. “I’ve made up my mind, Collin. I want you to kiss me. So, what are you waiting for?”

  His mouth curled into that lopsided grin and he shook his head slightly. “You’re kind of crazy, you know that?”

  What kind of
crazy, I had no idea. But in that moment, I didn’t care. My hands grasped the edge of the desk so tight, I thought it was going to crack. Sitting on it had put me almost at eye level with Collin. Nerves were beginning to bounce around my stomach at light speed. I felt a dangerous desire to open my mouth and ramble on, just like I did in any extremely high stress situations.

  “I hear you’re really good at this,” I spouted. “All the girls in our school say so.”

  I wanted to smack myself for uttering a single syllable. He was going to think I was such a dork.

  Collin’s eyebrows raised and he let out a low chuckle. “They say you can’t always believe everything you hear. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: if I had super powers, this would be it.”

  I snorted and he grinned in response.

  Show off.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said softly, tracing a finger agonizingly slow down my jawline and stopping just at the corner of my mouth. His gaze trailed his hand, landing solidly on my lips.

  I shifted uncomfortably. When I’d asked him to kiss me, I hadn’t wished for an entire theatrical performance. No lies necessary.

  “You don’t have to say those kinds of things.”

  His brown eyes flicked up to mine, his fingers lingering on my chin. “Why not? It’s true.”

  My heart wanted to believe him. To soak in everything Collin did. Every touch, every look. He had a way of making my heart feel like it was going to burst from my chest. And if he didn’t kiss me soon, I was afraid it would stop beating.

  Collin leaned in closer and placed his hand on my waist. With his other, he lifted my chin until I could look nowhere except straight into his smoldering eyes. Blood pooled into my cheeks, beating as hot as a wicked July sunburn. My lungs screamed in protest as I held in my breath, waiting for him to make a move.

  His eyes searched mine, a small frown line appearing between his eyebrows. He seemed to be waiting for something. Some final sign that this was truly what I wanted and that I wasn’t going to chicken out on him. But I wasn’t. Not today. I was tired of always being the passive one. Never acting. This was my life. My story. And if I wanted the star of the football team to kiss me so I could write a song, then I was going to do it.